Day 42: Nahmakanta Stream to Jo-Mary Road

Between every two pines there is a doorway to a new world.
~John Muir

August 16, 2021
Hike from Nahmakanta Stream Road to Jo-Mary Road (100 Mile Wilderness, Maine)
AT miles: 15.0
Ascent: 964’
Descent: 1005’
Weather: sunny with temps in the low 80’s
High points: seeing Mt. Katahdin for the first time!

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Today’s hike was long but beautiful. The trail had plenty of rocks and roots, but it had very little mud and was mostly dry. We occasionally needed to do some fancy footwork at stream crossings, but otherwise the hike was pretty straightforward.

Because of all the pine trees, the trail was often cushioned with needles and soft to walk on.

We walked along a stream with a truly epic name — Tumble Down Dick Stream! I’d love to know the story behind that unusual name!

There were numerous stream crossings. Thanks to the dry weather and the well-laid-out rocks my feet never got wet!

Antler Campsite is a lovely camping area right alongside one of the many beautiful ponds we passed.

I have no idea how many ponds we walked by today, but the glaciers definitely left their mark in this area! A few of the ponds even had beautiful sand beaches!

One pond provided our first view of Mount Katahdin!

The Hundred Mile Wilderness has surprisingly little mud, but when the trail crosses a muddy area the local trail maintainers have thoughtfully provided huge quantities of bogboards. These wood planks allow hikers to keep their feet dry!

Near the end of the day the woods became increasingly hardwood and open.

We walked for over 9 hours today, so we were all glad to finally reach the van and rattle down the dirt roads to the hostel. We scurried to get showered and then had a wonderful lasagna dinner.

Today is a great day for a long walk in the woods!